COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 147, 7 June 1932, Page 10

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

CHARGE AGAINST RUSSIAN. POSSESSION OP A BOMB. Auckland, June 6. The Russian seaman, George Bcrgi£t| aged 42, who was arrested on May I'J, was charged in the Police Court to-day with knowingly being in possession of a bomb with intent to commit a crime and with procuring explosives without lawful right. Following the hearing of evidence ao. cused was committed tor trial. Captain G. H. Clifton, ot the New Zealand Staff Corps and adjutant of the First Field Company of Engineer! and attached to the northern command, said that he examined the several ex* plosives in the charge of Detect ivf Nalder at the detective office. Th» bomb found in the accused’s room can» sisted of a piece of water piping seven inches in length and If inch in diametj. er affixed with a wooden plug at each end. It contained a plug and a half of gelignite, which was nitroglycerine plosive. A commercial type of detona. tor with an eight-second fusj was attached to the gelignite. The deonator was correctly inserted in tla* gelignite, and portion of the fuse camj» through a slot cut in the wooden plug. The charge was clamped down with brown paper. The effect of such a bomb would b* identical with that of a Mills bomb, and the metal nature of the casing woul£ give a fairly heavy destructive effect on detonation. EFFECT OF MILLS BOMB. Counsel: What would happen if it was thrown into a crowd? _ Witness: The effect would be sipn. lar to that of a Mills bomb. Frag, meats of the case could kill people and there would be a certain amount of concussion. Would it ignite fabric if thrown into a building?—Yes, I think so. Referring to the bomb found on Sergiff, witness said that it contained about half a plug of gelignite. It would not have the same effect as the other bomb, as it was made out of a small grease cup. Concerning other larger pieces of piping 24 inches in diameter, Captain Clifton said that by the appearance of the plugs fitted it wa» the same type ol work as performed in the milking of the bomb found in Sergriff’s room. Charles A. Campbell, of Nobel’s Explosives, Ltd., stated that be examined several pieces of gelignite found by tho police, and he deposed to the deadly effects of it. If it exploded in a lioinh thrown among a crowd or into a building a pound of gelignite would lift about 2f tons. There were 10 plugs of gelignite in a pound, and the quantity produced by the police would probably amount to half a plug. K. E. Griffin. Government analyst, was also examined as to the effect of the explosives and said that the formula produced was that of gelignite. I’he licensed was committed for trial.